‘A serial winner who has brought Roma to life’

Jose Mourinho has enjoyed greater achievements in his glittering managerial career, but Roma’s Europa Conference League triumph reduced him to tears after the ‘Special One’ delivered the Italian club their first major European trophy.

Europe’s third-tier club competition has been derided in some quarters, but for Mourinho the win over Feyenoord was every bit as important as his two Champions League triumphs with Porto in 2004 and Inter Milan in 2010.

Mourinho becomes the first manager to win all three major European competitions after making it five wins in five European finals.

Box office Mourinho delivers again

This was the 26th trophy of Mourinho’s managerial career – 19 years after he masterminded Porto’s Uefa Cup win in 2003.

He was announced as Roma boss last May and was tasked with building the club up after a disappointing seventh-place finish in Serie A in 2020-21.

“Mourinho said it wasn’t part of the plan [to win the trophy]. The plan was to build this team, it was the start of the project,”.

Roma’s run to the final was not all smooth, with the Portuguese coming under fire after an embarrassing 6-1 defeat by Bodo/Glimt in the group stage in October.

“The great thing about my career is that, aside from the Europa League with Manchester United, doing it with Porto, Inter and Roma is very, very, very special,” Mourinho said.

“It is one thing to win when everyone expects it, when you made the investments to win, but it’s quite another to win when something feels immortal, that feels truly special.

“This remains in the history of Roma, but also mine. I was told only I, Sir Alex [Ferguson] and Giovanni Trapattoni won trophies in three different decades. It makes me feel a little old, but it’s nice for my career.”

Roma win tense final in Tirana

Roma won their first major European trophy by beating Feyenoord 1-0 in the inaugural Europa Conference League final in Tirana.

Jose Mourinho’s first season in charge of the Italians ended with a trophy after Nicolo Zaniolo chested down Gianluca Mancini’s lofted pass before beating goalkeeper Justin Bijlow with a clever flick.

Mourinho, who has won the Champions League, Europa League and the Uefa Cup, is the first manager to win all of Uefa’s major European trophies.